Smooth Criminal
by BlackRoseDragon13
Summary: Hinata is home alone when someone invades her apartment...what kind of story does she have to tell after all is said and done?


**Hello everyone! This is BlackRoseDragon13, with my oneshot "Smooth Criminal", a little fic I came up with while listening to Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm. Hope you enjoy!**

]**EDIT – 3.18.11 Hey guys, more editing! I can't believe the formatting has got to hell AGAIN on this fic...I DON'T GET IT! Grr! I thought I had this fixed once already! Anyway, Blooded Wyngs let me know about it, and I'm trying my best to get it fixed...so...we'll see if this works =_='''**

**Summary: Hinata is home alone when someone invades her apartment...what kind of story does she have to tell after all is said and done?**

**Rating: M for language, blood, and violence.**

**Characters: Hyuuga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi**

**Warnings: AU. Inspired by the song Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form****.**

"Let's try this again, Miss Hyuuga..." A man with black hair, cigarette smoldering between his lips, looked down at the small woman seated as his desk. It'd been three hours, and the victim was still having trouble talking about what happened to her. Taking his seat, he steepled his fingers, looking over his hands to his current case. Hyuuga Hinata, heiress to the famed Hyuuga Enterprises, reported a breaking-and-entering and an attempted burglary in her apartment last night. The only thing was, she was extremely shy, and seemed reluctant to say anything about the case.

Then again, she seemed reluctant to say anything at all.

Trying to make his expression as kind as possible, Sarutobi Asuma asked, "I need you to tell me just what happened last night. You reported a burglar, but we can't start any kind of investigation unless you formally press charges and tell us what happened."

The girl shifted nervously in her seat, tugging at the hem of her lilac dress. Her family's trademark pale eyes avoided his gaze, staring off to the side and at the ground. Despite the high collar of her outfit, the bruises around her neck were still visible. She was positively terrified.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Mr. Sarutobi," the heiress sniffled. "I just..."

Grumbling, the man shifted to rest his chin in one hand. He needed a way to get her to talk...but nothing so far had gotten anything out of her but her name. "We have photo evidence of the bloodstains in your living room, and the broken lock on the window. There's also the bloodstained nightgown and the bruising on your neck, but the last thing we need are your charges and your statement, ma'am. Without it, we can't go anywhere with this."

A single tear slid slowly down Hinata's face. "I'm sorry..."

Feeling his temper rising, Asuma decided to leave the room before he said something he'd regret. "Well, I'll see if I can find someone else for you to talk to. Maybe you just need the right pair of ears." Grabbing his coffee cup, the cop shuffled out of the room down the hallway, making a beeline for the break room and more caffeine. Inside he found his partner and wife, Kurenai. Glancing at her, he muttered, "That Hyuuga girl is a damn mute. Won't say a word."

Putting a hand on her husband's shoulder, the red-eyed woman replied, "Maybe I should try talking to her. It could be a matter of her being afraid of men. Some shy women are just uncomfortable with the opposite sex."

"Alright, you're free to take a crack at it." He watched her as she walked out the door, sighing as he poured his fourth cup of coffee.

Opening the office door slowly, Kurenai shut it gently behind her, walking quietly to take the chair behind the desk. Hinata glanced up at her, obviously trying to hide the fact that she was crying. Without a word, the older woman handed Hinata a box of tissues from the drawer to her right.

"Th-thank you..."

"How are you feeling, Hinata?" Kurenai inquired, tilting her head at the Hyuuga. "Can I get you anything? We have coffee in the break room, or I could get you a glass of water."

"N-no thank you...I'm alright." Sniffling, she dabbed at her eyes lightly. "I just...I just w-wish I wasn't such a c-coward..."

Reaching over and taking the girl's empty hand, Kurenai replied, "No, Hinata, you're very brave. It takes guts to call the police after something like this happens. Don't you think for a second you're a coward."

A smile tugged at the corners of the girl's mouth.

"Now, the last thing I need you to do before I can get the ball rolling around here is to hear your side of the story. If we don't know what happened, we can't help you. Okay?"

"Yes, I understand." Shifting to sit up taller, Hinata finally made eye contact with the other woman. Something about her aura was much more calming than the other cop. He was...overwhelming. "W-where do you want me to s-start?"

"Let's start with you coming home that night. Do you remember?"

"Y-yes...it was about eight o'clock, and the sun was just going down..."

.oOo.

Quick steps carry the Hyuuga toward her apartment building. A funny feeling has been tickling the back of her neck all evening, and she is more than eager to get home.

With terrified glances to her rear, she makes it to the door with her key held firmly in her trembling hands. With a twist the door opens, and she jumps inside and shuts the door with lightning speed.

Heartbeat racing, she ascends the stairs to the second level where the place she calls home waits for her. Another twist of a key lets her inside, and once the door locks behind her, she lets out a sigh of relief. "Home at last," she murmurs, leaving the door and heading for her kitchen.

.oOo.

"Then I ate dinner, and by th-then I was feeling back to normal," the heiress continued, wringing the edge of her dress between her nervous hands.

Jotting down the last piece, Kurenai asked, "So, you called the police a little after midnight...what happened between dinner and then?"

"Well, I finished eating, and went to take a shower..."

.oOo.

Slipping off her clothes, Hinata steps into the hot water with a blissful sigh. Work was a nightmare today, and she just wants to wash off her stress. Gently washing her pale skin, the girl hums lightly to herself, content. Once finished, she just stands in the jet of water, letting it cascade down her body, trickling down her curves and through her waist-length hair.

"Ahhh..."

Shutting off the water with a bit of sadness, she leaves the shower stall and wraps up in a towel, tying it off and starting up her hairdryer. The noise fills her ears to the brim. The ensuing silence when her hair is dry almost makes her shiver. Walking across the hall to her bedroom, she slips on her nightgown, a simple white silk slip that reaches her mid-thigh, rather low-cut for her taste, but it's not like anyone ever sees it.

Satisfied, she leaves the bedchamber to go back to the living room, intending to read more of her favorite book before bed. Grabbing the title from the shelf, she settles into the couch, snuggling into the cushions and letting a single lamp light the room.

It's now that the latch of her window clicks.

.oOo.

"I see..." Kurenai murmured, writing quickly. "So you were awake when he opened the window?"

"Y-yes," Hinata affirmed. "B-but he didn't come in right away. He waited until after I let my guard down again..."

.oOo.

A shiver makes its way dramatically up Hinata's spine. Eyes wide, she glances at the offending window, seeing it popped open about an inch.

In a frantic scramble, she runs to the kitchen, reaching into her knife drawer and taking out a sizable blade. "Wh-who's there?"

The same feeling of pursuit fills her chest, freezing it over with fear.

"Sh-show yourself!"

Silence.

Feeling terribly paranoid, she lowers the knife a little, breathing hard. "I'm losing my mind," she mutters, approaching the glass and inspecting the lock.

Broken.

"Shoot." Putting the knife on a coffee table, she tugs the window shut, letting it sit at a closed position without a latch. "I'll have to have Neji come fix it tomorrow...he's better at handyman stuff than me..." Frowning at the broken latch, she decides, "The heat must have made it swell, and it just gave out...that's how it works, right?" Forcing herself to believe it, she sits back on the couch, blade forgotten on the table across the room. With a final glance, she sighs heavily and returns to her book...

With a jerk, her head snaps back up. Blinking away the sleep that took her over, she glances at the clock on her wall. Eleven thirty. "Shoot, I've got work in the morning...I need to get to bed." Picking up her book, she whispers, "Wait...what woke me up?"

Glancing slowly around the room, she catches sight of the broken window.

Again, it's opened a few inches.

"The wind...th-that's all." Shutting it again, she looks out the window at the street below. A few cars roll by, lights cutting through the smog and darkness. The light in the alley is out, the usual light cast by it sorely missed.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Hinata replaces her book, momentarily putting her back to the window.

That's all the time he needs.

.oOo.

"So, is that when he hit you?" Kurenai asked. "The blood we found was between the window and the shelves."

"H-hit me?" Hinata looked confused. "I n-never said he h-hit me."

"Then...where did the blood come from?"

"I'm getting to it..."

.oOo.

Before she can turn around, she hears the window open again. Knowing not to turn, she freezes in place, hand still reached up to the book's resting place. Behind her she hears footsteps, heavy breathing, and...dripping?

With all the strength in her, she forces herself to turn and face her intruder.

The lamp in the corner casts the stranger into shadow, obscuring his face. But despite the growing fear in her heart, the girl can't help but notice one thing.

The man - for she can certainly tell he's male - is clutching his side, breath coming in gasps, back slightly hunched.

He's hurt. Bad.

Putting her hands to her lips, she suppresses a scream threatening to escape her throat. Swallowing it, she forces her hands down, squeaking, "A-a-are y-you...okay?"

"No...bleeding...ngh..." A groan of pain echoes in his throat as he collapses to the floor.

Letting loose a small scream, she begins to panic, running to the bathroom and grabbing a towel. Returning, she flicks on the light, revealing the scene completely. The man has raven hair, tied together in a long ponytail. A plain black tee shirt covers his torso, meeting a pair of black jeans that look ill-cared for. But what throws the girl off is the blade protruding from his left side, blood pooling beneath him. Eyes wide, she kneels beside him, slowly rolling him onto his back. "W-what happened to you?"

"Mugged..." he murmurs. He offers no other explanation.

With shaky hands, she manages to tear the shirt back from the wound, revealing the sliced flesh and streaming blood. The sight nearly makes her pass out, but she fights off the impending blackness, knowing that this man needs her help. "Okay...um...hold s-still. I'm g-going to take the b-blade out, okay?"

He nods, teeth set in a grimace.

With a tug, she pulls the knife free, earning a moan of pain from her patient. Wiping her bloodied hands on her nightgown without thinking, she presses the towel - white of all colors - to the wound. It seems shallow, but any blood at all is enough to make her panic. "Okay...stay here, I'm g-going to call an ambulance."

"No!"

His refusal catches her off-guard, and she blinks. "W-why not?" she demands.

"Not...a good idea. I'm..." He struggles to word himself right. "I'm not welcome there..."

"Everyone is welcome in a hospital!" She giggles spastically in hysteria. "If I d-don't get you into a hospital, you're g-going to die!"

"No...it's not that bad..." Sitting up against her squawked words of protest, he holds the cloth to his wound. "It'll stop bleeding in a minute."

Gazing wide-eyed in fear at him, she tries to figure out his logic. "Who are you?" she manages to ask. "Why are you in my apartment?"

Looking sideways at her through a veil of midnight hair, he says, "My name is Itachi, if you must know...and I'm here because before I was stabbed, I was planning on robbing you."

Hinata's breath hitches. "W...what?"

"I'm a criminal," he spits, almost as though sickened by his title. "At least, everyone is convinced I am...so now I must live as one."

Listening to his smooth tone and vocabulary, Hinata can't help but reply, "You certainly don't sound like one..."

"Thank you..."

Hinata can't help but smile crookedly at the situation she finds herself in. Covered in a stranger's blood, helping him stop the bleeding of his wound he apparently got from a mugging despite the fact that he was about to rob her.

"I apologize...I'll leave," Itachi says, attempting to stand.

But something is made up in Hinata's mind. Holding his shoulder, she prevents him from rising. "No, don't m-move. You're not going anywhere until you stop b-bleeding."

The raven blinks at her. "But..."

Holding up a hand, she says, "P-please...don't...I m-might change my mind." Standing herself, she goes to the bathroom and grabs another towel, wetting it with warm water before taking it back to her invader and swapping it out. Looking at the cut, she says, "It l-looks like it's s-starting to clot. Keep this on it...we'll c-clean you up once it's completely s-stopped."

Giving her a look as though watching her grow another head, Itachi simply does as she says.

After washing her bloodied hands, she quickly changes into another night shirt, simply tossing the bloodstained one into the trash. But a loud grunt forces her attention, and she looks down the hall back to her living room.

Another man, blonde and long-haired like Itachi, stands over her original intruder. With a swift motion, he kicks the raven's uninjured side, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

"Oh my god!"

Her scream catches the blonde's attention, and he looks up to see her. Apparently not wanting an audience, he starts walking down the hall toward her. With a shriek, she dodges him and runs back into the belly of her apartment, diving under the table a few feet from Itachi. He shakes his head at her, putting a finger to his lips. She nods shakily, watching the blonde's legs approach her hiding place.

"Gotcha!" Dragging her out screaming by her ankle, he trades that hold for one around her throat. "Don't need any witnesses now, kitten...This time I'm finishing him off, hm!"

Feeling her head swim from fear and lack of oxygen, she closes her eyes in defeat. So this is what it's like to die...

But suddenly, the pressure ceases. Gasping, Hinata looks up to see Itachi standing over the unconscious invader with a heavy book in hand. Her book.

Glancing at her, he says, "I've got to go...call the police and get this mad man locked up...he should be out for a while."

"But y-your side..."

"Will be fine thanks to you." Kneeling before her collapsed form, he gives her a smile. "You have my gratitude..."

"Hinata," she breathes. "Hyuuga Hinata."

"Goodbye, Hyuuga Hinata," he returns. "I hope you never have to see me again." Stepping over the blonde, Itachi makes his way back to the window, climbing out the same way he came in.

Stunned, she stands and walks on autopilot, grasping the phone with oddly steady hands.

"Hello, 911? I'm calling to report a breaking-and-entering..."

.oOo.

Pen abandoned, Kurenai stared at the heiress. "You're kidding."

"No ma'am. That's exactly how it happened."

"So the original intruder didn't actually do anything...and the man we picked up wasn't the original intruder..." Leaning back in her husband's chair, the red-eyed woman sighed heavily. "Huh...never would have guessed...so the blood isn't yours, it's Itachi's...and the bruises are from Deidara, not Itachi...what a wild goose chase." Smiling tiredly at Hinata, she said, "Now see? How could we have known that without you?"

"I g-guess I just wasn't ready to talk until now." Smiling in return, she asked, "So...am I allowed to go home now?"

"Yes, Hinata...we'll call you when we have everything ready for the case. Until then you're free to go." Standing, she let the girl out of the office, watching her walk to the exit alone. Shaking her head, she muttered, "Asuma's never gonna believe this..."

.oOo.

Sticking the key into the latch, Hinata let herself back into her apartment. The blood stains were still there, standing out boldly in her white carpet. Sighing, she walked back to her room, slipping out of her dress and into a nightgown, the bloodied one still hanging haphazardly on the rim of her trash can. Her feet took her back to the living room, noting the book still left on the floor where Itachi left it. Smiling, she slowly bent over and picked it up, walking to the book case to replace it.

With her back turned, she heard the broken window creak.

A small smile broke over her face. Turning, she said, "So, y-you came back. I thought you didn't want me t-to see you again."

"What can I say? That window is just too easy. You really must get that fixed, Hinata." Taking her hand, he pulled her close. "Besides, I felt I owed you something for your help..."

"No...you s-saved me, remember? We're even."

Itachi tilted his head. "I see...well then...perhaps your company would be suffice?"

Smiling, she replied, "That would be wonderful."

FIN

**So, how do you like it? I had to change the ending a bit from what I had originally, because Hinata got slightly...out of character. But overall I think it turned out well :) Please let me know what you think - I love feedback! Thanks for reading!** **~BlackRoseDragon13**

***So, I went back and did a bit of editing...some spelling and grammar, a few things that didn't make sense, you name it. I think I'm going to go back and go over all my stories again and make sure they're all as good as I can get them!***


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